Best SSDs

As CPU performance hits new and unforeseen heights, processors increasingly spend time waiting on data from hard drives. This is what makes storage today's most glaring bottleneck, and overcoming it requires an SSD. Frankly, the real-world differences between SSDs in a desktop environment aren't altogether large. The most noticeable performance increase occurs when you go from a hard disk to just aboutanysolid-state drive.

Best PCIe 250GB SSD

Intel Optane SSD 900P (280GB)

Pros

Low queue depth performance

Reasonable price points

Unbound storage

Cons

Capacity

Where Is VROC?

Verdict

For some, Intel's Optane SSD 900p will have an immediate, palpable impact. If you work with massive datasets in a workstation environment, this product doesn't even have competition. For the rest of us enthusiasts, it's really fast too, but its impact may not always be as tangible in day-to-day applications. Pricing will make many buyers queasy, but there is medicine for that. But the bottom line is that for many of your computing ailments, there is Optane.

MyDigitalSSD BPX (240GB)

Pros

Aggressive pricing

Better than mainstream performance

Excellent performance-per-dollar

5-Year warranty

Class-leading endurance

Cons

Poor notebook battery life performance

Potential supply issues

Verdict

The MyDigitalSSD BPX 240GB offers the best combination of price, performance and usable capacity in this series. It is the best value of all general use consumer SSDs shipping today. Prices start at just $115. The BPX 240GB is budget friendly, outperforms every SATA-based SSD, and makes an excellent boot drive for a wide-range of users.

These are the NVMe SSDs you are looking for. MyDigitalSSD didn't just deliver a true entry-level NVMe SSD, but it made a product that competes with every consumer SSD on the market. The BPX is our pick from the entry-level 512GB NVMe class and our new go-to SSD when price is a concern. The BPX Series offer the best balance of features and best overall consumer SSD available for general use.

The Plextor M8Pe 512GB offers a great user experience at an affordable price. It's not the lowest priced NVMe SSD, but it scores high in usability, options, and features. We would like to see Plextor add support for the advanced software, but we'll have to wait for that update. In the meantime, the M8Pe 512GB is stand on solid ground with its strong performance.

Team Group T-Force Cardea 480GB

Pros

MLC NAND flash

Passive cooling

Priced well

Cons

No SSD or migration software

Limited availability

Verdict

Thermal throttling isn't a big issue for most users, but a heat sink makes sense if your system has less than optimal airflow and a large video card covering your only M.2 slot. The Team Group T-Force Cardea 480GB delivers MLC NAND performance with passive cooling to create a more robust M.2 SSD than what we've seen before. We really like this drive, but expect to spend over $250.

The Intel 600p 1TB SSD delivers enough performance to justify the cost. If you just want to fill the M.2 slot on your new motherboard, the 600p fits, but you may not notice a performance improvement over your existing high-speed SATA SSD. Intel tossed out an option, and when it comes to low-cost 1TB NVMe SSDs, it's the only one.

Plextor M8Pe (1TB)

Pros

1TB capacity

Value pricing

Exceptional application performance

High endurance

MLC NAND

Cons

Plextor software tools missing (at the time of writing)

Straight transfer performance

Verdict

The Plextor M8Pe NVMe SSD series is the unsung hero for late 2016. Plextor hasn't had a product that impressed us in a number of years. The M5 Pro from 2012 was the last product from the company that I recommended to users based on performance and overall value. The M8Pe joins the M5 Pro as a standout product. This series is still a little rough around the edges, but there is enough substance for us to recommend it for most users.

Samsung 960 EVO (1TB)

Pros

Upper mainstream NVMe performance

Lower price than MLC NVMe SSDs

An eventual software package with new features

Cons

Pricey

Low endurance

When will this ship?

Power sucking driver

Verdict

The Samsung 960 EVO 1TB NVMe SSD is an attractive alternative in a category dominated by expensive products that often have more bark than bite. Don't expect any more high-capacity value-focused NVMe products anytime soon. The 960 EVO is the best you will get in 2016 and early 2017.

Best 2TB PCIe SSD

Samsung 960 Pro SSD (2TB)

Pros

The fastest consumer SSD

A large 2TB capacity option

Single-sided design for increased compatibility

Cons

Prosumer pricing

No eDrive support

Missing features (NVMe Driver 2.0 And Magician)

Verdict

The best just got better, but Samsung priced the 960 Pro out of reach for many users. We get a little excited when Ferrari releases a new model with more power and higher efficiency, but not enough to go into debt to make it personal. If you run professional level software, then the price isn't even a factor. The 960 Pro 2TB is the largest capacity NVMe SSD available, and it will finish your workload faster than anything else available at this price.